I bought a big R2R bunch of stuff the other day and in the bags of stuff that came along with the AKAI M8 tube R2R was a little Blue and White Pioneer Box. Being a bit of a Pioneer junkie I grabbed right on to it wondering what it was.

Well what it is a Sealed complete as if NEW Pioneer PL-C6 cartridge complete with instructions and the little screwdriver and hardware it would have come with. The plastic box the cartridge is in has a foil type seal on two sides that tell me this was NEVER opened.

Now I have a Pro-Ject RM-5 w/an Ortofon X3-MC hi output cart as my main table and a Pro-Ject 1.2 with Grado RED as my second table.

I can't figure out what I should do with this little Pioneer gem. Should I stick it on a shelf, the classified here, eBay What????

Not having any idea what kind of sound it would have (though I do have the spec's 20-21,000cps etc.) So I don't want to open it to find out I like my other carts better. And the collector in me hates the idea or ruining anything 37 years old sealed.

So what would you do?

I don't know anything about the quality of that cartridge, but if it were me, I'd leave it sealed. My rationalization would be that the suspension is probably all dried out on it anyway, and a modern cart would probably operate better. Also, replacement styluses could be problematic.

Just my $.02.

I'd be willing to bet your Ortofon beats it anyway...but who knows? i've never heard the Pioneer cart.

Get it out, check the suspension and if ok, give it a go at the lower end of the tracking range- it'll probably be fine.

Me too would leave it sealed. How about some pics of the sealed box? :)

Here is a link to an ebay seller with a replacement stylus.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Phonograph-Needle-Pioneer-PL-N6-AT6-Hitachi-JVC_W0QQitemZ130043351094QQihZ003QQcategoryZ64620Q QcmdZViewItem

Tracking is kind of on the high side might be a good cartridge for those beat Lp's or thrift store ones.

If you have other pioneer stuff that is in sealed boxes, you can open this one. but if you don't, especially stuff from the era, this unopened box remaining unopened is a very small price to pay to have something Original from the era as it would have been delivered to a customer at the front counter of the store that also sold the contents of the Shrine. With the possibility that many cartridges will sound better (who knows, yet as google has not turned up the info on this one) you will not gain anything by opening it.

Careful curiosity killed the cat. Put that virgin box in a nice Display position and step away and enjoy.

Well I'm pretty sure the Ortofon would stomp all over it as a user. Most likelu the Grado would as well. The comments about using it for thrift LP's is interesting but I rarely have any trouble playing these with my Grado.

The idea of a display piece has always been a possibility. Don't know if it will be me or some other Pioneer collector yet.

Tuck it away in a temp/ humidity controlled area and get it back out in 37 years, then it will be 75 years old. :D

I had one once, it wasn't great. ortofon om10 was comfortably better.

Tuck it away in a temp/ humidity controlled area and get it back out in 37 years, then it will be 75 years old. :D

And I'll be approaching 87 years old!

sell it on eBay, some fool will pay top dollar

contribute the proceeds to AK, be done with it

The consensus is that what you have is superior to this and it would take up space that could be used for other equipment.